Well, in my opinion this song is about being a young & maybe a little naive &/or introverted girl and finding yourself loving a man who is at first very charming, carefree & outgoing, and seems at first to be without limits, as in
"There was a time
you opened up every doorway
you didn't mind if everything
wasn't your way"
then that man starts to gradually become more introverted & shows their more possessive/obsessive side to you as the relationship progresses, even while they keep up the appearance of being carefree & outgoing to everyone else,
"Don't pull away
that goes against what you told me
I look in your eyes
I realize what you've sold me
is love in a vacuum"
so you confront them about the way they're acting and of course they deny it,
"I think you've changed
but you insist that
that's not true"
quite possibly they are an addict of some sort, my guess would be cocaine, &/or showing very obsessive behavior towards you (early on in the video for this song we see the man hanging a picture up, it is a very large portrait of Aimee & it is prominently displayed in his/their apartment for the duration of the song), thus their "love in a vacuum",
"You look so strange, so distant
that you're hardly you
Now I can see
how you have been acting different
You say it's me
but I know
that it isn't
it's love in a vacuum"
but still you are in love with them and don't want to leave them and you know that they are truly in love with you and they don't want you to leave them either, maybe they are convinced you can save them from themself, maybe they are so broken that the possibility of an overdose &/or suicide attempt is very real and you want to get through to them that their behavior not only dangerous but it is also just pissing you off and if they don't wise up they run the risk of loosing you, as in the lines
"You will be lonely
if you leave me alone", so you want to save them but can't get through to them due to the addiction &/or emotional problems they have,
"Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
love in a vacuum
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
You will be lonely
if you leave me alone
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough"
you want them to understand that the love they are giving you is not enough when it is filtered through the vacuum of their drug addiction &/or emotional impairment,
"You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough
and just wait
you will be lonely
Love in a vacuum
Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
Love in a vacuum".
'Love In A Vacuum' for me is a hauntingly truthful acute argument on the loneliness of obsession and almost inevitable loss of love that follows people who are broken in some way or another; the obsessives, the coke heads, the drunks, addicts or the just-plain-old emotionally broken; a razor sharp, lyrically driven, deceptively poppy, yet ultimately-depressing-in-the-best-way song.
Quintessential Aimee Mann.
There's a back road leadin' off the hard-top
Half-a-mile past the slingshot tree
Wanders round through a million memories
It's callin' me, callin' me
There's a white house with fading shutters
The old front door that never needed a key
And I hear my Mama in the hush of the evenin'
Callin' me, yeah, she's callin' me
[Chorus]
And no matter where I'm goin'
It reminds me of where I'm from
Just as long as I can hear it
I know I'm not too far gone
There's a first kiss under the willow
Love so honest, it was hard to believe
And even when my heart is breakin'
It's callin' me, callin' me
Yes, it's callin' me
(Oh, yeah, yeah)
Callin' me, callin' me
[Chorus]
There's a tiny country chapel
Filled with voices singin' harmony
And when my soul is lost in the silence
Oh, it's callin', yes, it's callin' me
Yes it's callin' me
(Callin' me)
Callin'
Oh, it's callin'
Yes, it's callin' me
Half-a-mile past the slingshot tree
Wanders round through a million memories
It's callin' me, callin' me
There's a white house with fading shutters
The old front door that never needed a key
And I hear my Mama in the hush of the evenin'
Callin' me, yeah, she's callin' me
[Chorus]
And no matter where I'm goin'
It reminds me of where I'm from
Just as long as I can hear it
I know I'm not too far gone
There's a first kiss under the willow
Love so honest, it was hard to believe
And even when my heart is breakin'
It's callin' me, callin' me
Yes, it's callin' me
(Oh, yeah, yeah)
Callin' me, callin' me
[Chorus]
There's a tiny country chapel
Filled with voices singin' harmony
And when my soul is lost in the silence
Oh, it's callin', yes, it's callin' me
Yes it's callin' me
(Callin' me)
Callin'
Oh, it's callin'
Yes, it's callin' me
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
Calling Me Lyrics as written by Craig Michael Wiseman Annie Roboff
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Love in a Vacuum
'Til Tuesday
'Til Tuesday
Show Me a Little Shame
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
He certainly did earn that reputation.
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.